Novelty container



April 15, 1952 M. E. HATTENBACH 2,592,692

NOVELTY CONTAINER Filed NOV. 17, 1949 %j4 I 27M (fi ($2424.

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Patented Apr. 15, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE This invention relates to novelty containers, and

more particularly to novelty containers of the basket type which are generally used at parties,

particularly childrens parties, to hold individual portions of candy, cookies,'nuts 'or the like, and which also may provide -a means for holding placecards.

Such containers must of necessity be both attractive and inexpensive, the item of cost being especiallyimportant in'view of the fact-that they are generally presented as favors and thus are used only once. The industry has been unable to meet public demand for such articles, and because of the high cost of manufacture the containers of the prior art'are both too expensive and not sufficiently attractive to meet the acknowledgedneed.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a novelty container of the basket type which is both attractive and inexpensive, and which may be manufactured by mass'production at a low cost.

It is an important object of this invention to provide a novelty container wherein the base, body portion and handle are constructed separately and individually and which may be quickly and easily assembled and locked together.

It is another object of this invention to provide a novelty container wherein the handle is used as a keying member to retain the base, body portion and handle in abutting relation.

It is a further object of this invention to provide novelty containers wherein the base, body and handles of different colors may be quickly and easily interchanged to form attractive and novel designs.

These and numerous other objects and advantages will be apparent throughout the progress of the following specification.

The accompanying drawing illustrates a selected embodiment of the invention and the views therein are as follows:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of the container showing the base, body portion and handle in locked relation;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the assembled container;

Fig. 3 is a bottom view;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged side elevational view of the handle and keying member;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged side elevational view of the base partially broken away to show a stud; and

anchorage for said container.

Fig. 7 is a side elevational view of the body portion of said container partially broken away at its lower end.

To illustrate the preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is shown a container 8 having a base HLsaid base being provided with a centrally positioned stud 12. The stud is formed to extend a predetermined distance above the top level of said base and may, if desired, be made to extend. to the bottom level of said base as shown in Figs. 4 and 6 to provide a firmer stand and The stud I2 is formed with an axial aperture 14 of predetermined size and shape for reasons hereinafter set forth.

Mounted upon said base It coaxially therewith is the bodyportion l6 which may be of any desired contour and size, having at its lower end a recess t8, the walls of said recess being adapted to fit over and frictionally engage the upper portion of stud l2 as shown in Fig. 4. The recess [8 is also formed with an axial aperture 20 similar in shape and coextensive in size with the aperture 54. When the body portion 16 is mounted upon the base 10 with the walls of recess l8 frictionally engaging the upper portion of stud [2, the apertures 20 and M are brought into complete alignment, as shown in Fig. 4, and are in position to receive a keying member 22 as hereinafter shown.

The keying member 22 shown in Fig. 5 forms an important part of this invention and performs three functions. It locks the base It] and body portion 16 in abutting relationship, it serves as a handle for the container 8, and it provides means for retaining an element, such as a place card, in predetermined position. As shown, it is formed elongated in shape and extends from the base [0 to a point beyond the upper edge of the body portion l6. At its lower end, extending upwardly and for a distance substantially equal to the width of the stud l2 and the bottom 24 of body portion [6, it is provided with a locking portion 26 which has a cross-sectional configuration adapted to mate frictionally with apertures 20 and M to retain the base l0 and body portion IS in abutting relation. At its upper end it is provided with a loop 28 to form a handle for the container 8. The loop 28 is slotted to form slot 30 in which an element such as a place card may be fitted. Immediately above the locking portion 26 there is provided a flange 32 which is adapted to be seated at the bottom of the body portion "5 and which coacts with said locking portion 26 to firmly anchor said keying member 22 in said container.

In assembling the container the body portion [6 is mounted upon the base [0, the walls of the recess l8 frictionally engaging the stud 12 with the apertures 14 and 20 in alignment. The keying member 22 is then inserted through the body portion, the locking portion 26 mating frictionally with said apertures I4 and 20 to retain said base l and body portion in abutting relation. The flange 32 seats itself in the bottom of said container, as shown in Fig. 4, and together with the locking portion 26 firmly anchors the keying member 22 into the center of said container to form a handle therefor. It is obvious that the loop 28 provides a gripping area for the fingers and an element, such as a place card, may be inserted and retained in the slot 30.

The container 8 may be made of any desired material such as metal or paper, but it has been found to be most desirable and satisfactory to make said article of a thermo setting or thermoplastic material. It is to be understood that although the body portion of the illustrated embodiment of said invention is shown with the flutes 34, the invention is not limited thereto but that the container may be made of any desired shape or form or material without departing from the spirit of the invention. It may also be seen that the containers of the present invention may be easily and inexpensively manufactured and can be made very attractive. For example, bases, body portions and handles of different colors or different designs may be combined to produce many desirable and pleasing efiects.

Changes may be made in form or construction without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages, and the right is hereby reserved to make all changes as fairly fall within the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is as follows:

1. An article of the class described comprising a base, a stud centrally positioned in said base, said stud being formed with an axial aperture of predetermined size and shape, a body portion mounted on said base, said body portion being formed with a recess at its lower end and adapted to frictionally engage the said stud, said recess having an axial aperture therein similar in shape and coextensive in size with the aperture in said stud, and a keying member having at its lower end a cross-sectional configuration to mate frictionally with the apertures in said stud and recessed to retain said base and body portion in abutting relation.

2. An article of the class described comprising a base, a stud centrally positioned in said base, said stud being formed with an axial aperture of predetermined size and shape, a body portion of predetermined design and size mounted upon said base, said body portion being formed with a recess at its lower end adapted to frictionally engage said stud, said recess having an axial aperture similar in shape and coextensive in size with the aperture in said stud, and a keying member having at its lower end a cross-sectional configuration to mate frictionally with the apertures in said stud and recess to retain said base and body portion in abutting relation, said keying member extending upwardly through the center of said body portion and beyond the upper edge thereof and being adapted to serve as a handle for said article.

MAURICE E. HATTENBACH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 96,487 Savery Nov. 2, 1869 263,272 Whyte Aug. 22, 1882 664,600 Weitman Dec. 25, 1900 1,075,190 Byrnes Oct. 7, 1913 2,002,582 Potter May 28, 1935 2,113,688 Grant Apr. 12, 1938 2,349,706 Collins May 23, 1944 2,510,551 Cardillo June 6, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 22,223 Great Britain 1910 369,193 Germany Feb. 16, 1923 133,029 Switzerland July 16, 1929 

